A second chance
by drugged-on-chocolate
Summary: Christian is given a second chance at a life with the love of his life...will it work out?I'm REALLY bad a summaries...it's better than the summary
1. closing a door, finding the window

Who am i to say that i own the immortal genious that is Baz/Nicole Kidman/Ewan McGregor (wow i can't spell) anyway...IT IS NOT MINE

Christian held her in his arms, cold as she was he wouldn't let her go. "Come on Christian," Zidler said to him quietly. "There is nothing you can do now."

Christian looked up at the man his love had almost known as a father. Then he looked at the one woman he would love for all eternity, the one he had fallen for. But there was something different, he noticed. Something that wasn't right. Her hair was the same fiery red, her mouth the same one he had kissed so very often, but her eyes…they were brown.

"There is something you should know," Zidler began as Christian looked up at him tears still fresh in his eyes. Toulouse came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said as Zidler helped Christian stand up and walk to a small office just off to the side of the stage. Without being asked Christian slumped into one of the chairs and put his head in his hands.

"Satine is many things," Zidler said but Christian interrupted.

"Was. Satine _was_ many things."

"No Christian. Satine Is many things, a mother is one of them."

Christian looked up, "who is-?"

"No idea I'm afraid," Zidler said, "A young girl by the name of Nicole, she is upstairs. She needs someone to look after her."

Christian nodded. "Of coarse, of coarse, I'll take her."

"Satine wants me to give you this." Christian was still puzzled by the use of the present tense, but took the held out letter almost greedily.

_Christian_

_Come what may. That is what you always said to me, and when I found out that I was sick, I decided to listen to you. You said that you would love me until my dieing day, well, I'm not prepared to give up quite that easily. I'm in London. I won't say where encase the Duke finds this, but I am in London and waiting for you. _

_I'm not sick anymore, in fact in a few weeks I'll be better than I ever was. So please Christian, come, bring Nicole. I want to forget my past and begin our future._

_Satine_

Christian looked up at Zidler and without speaking asked to see Nicole. Zidler ran upstairs and brought down a little girl with flaming red hair and crystal blue eyes. "Oh My God." Christian sighed as he knelt down. "Hello Nicole." He said.

She was about six, maybe seven, and when she took one look at Christian she smiled. "Mummy said to follow her and come soon." She said quietly.

"That's right," Christian said filled with a new purpose, mere seconds ago he felt like lying down and dieing, but from one look into this little girls eyes and the letter in his hands, life had purpose and meaning again. He was going to London.

I'm sorry it's so short...BUT if i get reveiws (hints there) then ill do more


	2. Then Jump

Disclaimer: Don't own it, wish i did...dont

Thanks for the reveiws ppl! keep 'em coming :)

Christian found that Nicole was amazed by almost anything, his garret, the Bohemian's rooms upstairs, the train ride to the boat to cross the English Channel...almost anything.

"You don't go out much do you?" he said as they sat by the window as Nicole found every stretch of water enthralling.

She turned to him, Satine's eyes boring into him. She shook her head, her red curls flying. "Uncle Ziddy said it was dangerous."

_Uncle Ziddy?_ Christian thought that there were a few things that he just _didn't _want to know.

They finally reached England, and Christian let out a sigh. Home, almost. He'd left England a while ago and so much had changed and now, he was coming back...what more could have changed since he left.

Nicole clung to his hand, an immediate bond had captured them from the beginning, both believing that they were all each other had.

Christian hoisted her up onto his shoulders and the two of them looked out from the street. "I guess we'd better begin looking, did you Mum say anything about where she'd be?"

Nicole tugged at his hair, "Mm, she said that she'd be in Rotting Hill."(AN – I'm not sure if Rotting Hill was around in the 1900s, but let's just pretend)

"What?"

Nicole thought again, "Botting Hill?"

Christian had to laugh. "Notting Hill?"

Nicole squealed with laughed, "That one!"

Christian laughed as they made their way to the place in question.

They reached the top of a hill and looked down, _Great_ Christian thought, _There must be hundreds of houses here, which one is she in?_

He didn't let Nicole see his doubt as they both walked down the street occasionally knocking on doors asking after her.

"Have you seen my mummy?" Nicole asked an elderly lady about halfway down the street.

The Lady looked at Christian curious, "Lover's fight?"

Christian smiled, "It's...complicated."

The lady smiled broadly. "It always is."  
Nicole groaned and asked her again if she had seen her Mum.

"If she looks like you, then yes. She lives down there," the lady pointed at one of the houses a little further down the street and Christian smiled and thanked her as Nicole rushed down and threw herself at the door knocking and pushing the thin piece of wood.

The door opened and Nicole was lifted into the arms of her mother. "Nicky. It is So good to see you," Satine smiled softly. Then her gaze fell on Christian. "Christian-"

Christian closed the gap between them and kissed her firmly on the mouth. "I've missed you," she gushed when he stepped back.

"I've missed you too." he assured her as her face turned pale. "Satine, what is it?"

"You must leave."

"What, but we only just got here?"

"That doesn't matter, I will see you as soon as I can, I promise."

Christian looked at Satine and saw the look he'd only seen once before, the night the Duke had tried to take her.

"Where is he?"

Satine's face was a mix of gratitude and nerves as she lead him through to the living room where the Duke was waiting for her.

"Sir, I've brought a guest for you."

The Duke looked up from his book, "Ah, Nigel, I must tell you about-" His face blanched as he saw Satine holding a young girl and Christian standing a little in front of her protectively.

"You." He spat.

"And You? We're beginning to make this a habit."

Nicole buried her head in Satine's should as The Duke stood and as he shook his head Christian could see the bruise where Zidler had hit him.

"Ouch," he muttered as the Duke walked up to him.

"You are only a little worm, and shall soon be squished." The Duke snarled.

From behind him Christian could hear the Duke's 'assistant' enter the room and cock a gun.

This wasn't going to be easy Christian realised.

He he he he he! Sorry about that...sort of felt like it...Oh...I didn't warn you did I. This story has enough Fluff coming up to stuff a big teddy bear.


	3. A soft landing

Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN MOULIN ROUGE, if u thought I did then I'd be kinda worried.  

There was a Bang

Nicky screamed and Satine cried out but as they dared to glance up they saw a body on the floor, it wasn't Christian. The assistant had never expected Christian to fight back, so when he turned the gun around the assistant wasn't ready to stop himself from pulling the trigger.

One shot, right between the eyes.

Christian ran to Satine and the three of them ran out the door before the Duke realised what had happened.

Christian silently thanked any god he could think of as they reached the train station. Where would they go? Where _could_ they go? The Duke was a very powerful man, wherever they ran he could find them. Then Christian thought, there was _one_ place where they couldn't be found.

Three hours later they were sitting in a compartment on their way to Kent. "Where are we going?" Satine had to ask as Nicole fell asleep on her lap.

"To see someone that might be able to help us," he told her.

"Christian?" The way she said his name, the look on her face. He couldn't lie to her.

"The man that could help us is my father, he's a pastor. He might be able to help us, and if that doesn't work than we can go to my brother."

Satine sighed and looked at the little girl in her arms, "Nicole cannot grow up like this Christian, always running, always hiding. She needs a home."

Christian took one look at her face and knelt down in front of her, "And she will have one," he assured Satine. "Nicole will have a mother – and a father."

Satine looked up suddenly, "What are you saying Christian?"

"I'm asking you to marry me." He said faking casualness.

Satine smiled a smile that made his heart go twice as fast as it should as he asked, "Is that a yes?"

Satine didn't say anything, instead she nodded enthusiastically and kissed him over Nicole's head.

"Who died then?" he asked as he settled back into the chair his arm around her shoulders.

Satine looked up at him curiously. "What?"

"Back at the Moulin Rouge, who died?"

Satine looked at him and sighed, "another dancer, her name was Judy. She was going to die, and when she heard that in London there was a treatment for what I had, she said that we should swap. I'd leave and she would take my place, just for that show. If she lived through it she would have gone to you and told you to come and find me, but she didn't."

Christian hugged her tightly, not sure of what to say. They spent the rest of the trip in silence, simply happy for once that they were for the moment, safe.

"All Passenger's to Kent," the guard called down the long corridor to the several compartments that were waiting.

Nicole struggled awake as Christian and Satine linked arms and walked out onto the station. Christian called a taxi and the three of them were on their way to his father's manor.

The taxi pulled up in front of the mini castle and Christian payed him as Satine and Nicole walked out uncertainly.

Christian sighed and wrapped an arm around Satine and took hold of Nicole's hand as they walked up the steps to the foreboding building in front of them. The housekeeper had seen the taxi and ran out to meet them.

"Christian! Chrisy boy! My darling little boy all grown up!"

Christian laughed as he let himself be engulfed in a bear hug from the small woman who came up to him.

"Mrs Dawson, this is Satine, and her daughter Nicole." Christian introduced the two women next to him and they smiled awkwardly until Mrs Dawson threw herself at them.

"You both look hungry, come in while Mr Christian talks to his father." Mrs Dawson winked at Christian as she led them all up to the kitchen.

"I'll be right back," he told Satine kissing her and hugging Nicole, "I just have to talk to my Dad for a minute."

Satine smiled sympathetically as Nicole waved him goodbye. But he was quickly forgotten as Mrs Dawson brought out some cake.

He walked up the steps from his childhood and came to his father's study. "Enter!" a man called as he knocked on the hard oak door.

"Christian?"

"Hello Father."

**Now, what to do...:) i'll figure it out. Sorry for taking so long to update, but I NEED MORE REVEIWS! they make me write faster! **


	4. A bumpy ride

**Disclaimer: Don't own it, wish I did…still don't. **

**Well: It's here! Sorry for the hold up…hope all is forgiven…but PLEASE REVIEW! **

That conversation was quite possibly the hardest Christian had ever have to deal with.

"Christian what are you doing? Taking on a woman like that? With a _child_ no less!"

"I'm thinking perfectly father," Christian almost spat. "Satine and I came here to ask for your help…"

"My Help? MY HELP?" his father roared. "What kind of help do you think I shall give to a girl like _that_?"

Christian look down to the floor like he would when he was a child, "Help Us! Help us hide from the Duke, who might I add wants to kill me. Help us to set up a Home, send Nicole to school maybe, Things like that."

"Christian, maybe if you stayed here for a while," his father's voice suddenly calm, "then maybe we could find you a suitable wife, I hear that Miss McGregor is still single, true there was that slight trouble with the baker's boy, but she's alright now…"

Christian looked at his father almost shocked. "You can't be serious-"

"I'm not one to joke Christian. Now listen I'm sure there are…places for people like that woman downstairs, but it is not here."

Christian sighed, how was he supposed to convince his father to let him stay? Let Satine and Nicole stay? There was one thing he could try.

"My Brother would help us." Christian said almost calmly.

"What your _brother_ does with his money is none of my concern."

Christian raised his eyebrows, "Only you because you cut him off, do you want to loose two sons, father? Then you'll only have Lucy to leave everything to."

His father glowered at him and looked at a piece of paper floating around on his desk apparently very concerned at its contents. "The Guildford house is yours. Nobody is using it."

Christian almost leaped up from his seat but somehow contained himself by running from the room and into Satine's arms. "We've got a house," he told her picking Nicole up and placing her easily on his shoulders. "The Guildford house."

"You have more than one house?" Satine said as they walked out to the carriage taking a key from Mrs Jenkins and taking a piece of cake for the road.

As Nicole waved good bye to Mrs Jenkins Christian explained to Satine that his father had inherited from his father a great fortune which he had inherited from his father and so on and so on and which each of these great fortunes had come a house, there were about six. Six houses that any member of his family could inhabit at any given time so long as they arrived with the key.

"Which you now have?"

Christian nodded as Nicole looked up at him with that look all young children get at night time, the: _I'm-tired-but-I'll-never-admit-it_ look. Satine laughed and began to hum a song under her breath. Christian knew what it was before the hum became legible.

"Never knew," he sang softly, "I could feel like this, Like I've never seen the sky before, I want to vanish inside your kiss, Every day I Love You more and more, Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing, Telling me to give you everything, Seasons may change, winter to spring, But I Love You, until the end of time, Come what may, Come what may, I will Love You, Until my dying day" Christian looked to Satine to continue their song, but he needn't have bothered.

"Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place" Her voice was soft and almost strained. Not like it had been before…before the Duke, and yet to Christian it was still just as beautiful as it was that first day when they met. "Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace, Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste, It all revolves around you, And there's no mountain too high, No river too wide, Sing out this song, I'll be there by your side, Storm clouds may gather, And stars may collide, But I Love You, I Love You, Until the end of time, Oh, come what may, come what may. I will Love You, until my dying day, Oh come what may, come what may, I will Love You, I will Love You, Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place, Come what may, Come what may. I will Love You, Until my dying day." They finished it together, just like they always had.

Satine looked over at her daughter to see her sleeping soundly. She had to laugh, that song would make Satine want to do anything but sleep, but to her daughter it was a lullaby Worthing of lullaby hall of fame. Christian chuckled and looked at the little girl.

"What do you think she'll be like when she's older?"

"As long as she's not like her mother then I'm happy." Satine said glumly.

"If she's as beautiful as her mother than I'd be happy."

Satine rolled her eyes and leant on him to fall to sleep, Nicole curled up in her arms sleeping soundly as the carriage rocked along not seeming to care about it's occupants.

* * *


	5. truth, beauty, freedom & love

The house was...magnificent. It's Gothic arches swept up in front of them and almost pulled them to the sky. Nicole ran up to the door to see it being opened for her by one of many footmen. "Thank you Jibbs," Christian smiled as the young girl stared up at the uniform. "Nicole, this is Jibbs, he will show you to your room. While I see about Lunch."

Jibbs turned to Christian in amazement, "What do you mean?" he whispered.

"Take her to Lucy's room, it is her's now."

"When the master's courier came with the note that you had taken this house I couldn't believe it. But when he told me that you would be bringing a lady with you, and a Child no less, I wouldn't believe it."

Christian smiled at the old man. "Believe it, because it is not going away. None of it is."

Satine looked at him in astonishment. "But, this looks expensive...you are penniless."

Christian smiled, "I am only penniless because my father cut me off, now that we seem...in his favour. He has given back what is mine."

"What would that be?"

Christina smiled. "I am a Lord, in my own right. Not quite a Duke, but a Lord nonetheless." Satine backed away slightly, after all, her exposure to the noble's or 'Lords' of any kind was slightly biased. Christian seemed to see her discomfort as he rushed to assure her that Lords were _very_ different from Dukes. Lord's didn't steal people or anything like that, they simply sat in big houses and didn't do much all day. "But there is one thing that I have to do, not as a Lord, but as Christian."

Satine asked him what that thing was, but he wouldn't tell her as he showed her around the house.

At dinner time the three of them changed and sat at the table almost ready to eat. The Dining room was ENORMOUS as Satine and Nicole sat a few meters down from Christian. But before Jibbs and the other servants could bring out the first of many courses, Christian stopped them and rose from his seat. He took Satine's hand and had Nicole resting on his hip and took them into the kitchen where they sat at the table and ate with the servants.

At first the servants were skeptical, not knowing what to make of this. The Christian they remembered wasn't like this. He would be shut up in his room with his typewriter and wouldn't come out, wouldn't eat for days on end and yet here he was, sitting With Them and laughing?

Nicole curled up in Christian's arms and promptly feel asleep. He apologized and walked up from the basement kitchen to his sister Lucy's old room and laid the young girl on her bed. Satine followed him to their room and was curious to say the least.

"What is that you have to do? As Christian?"  
Christian smiled at her as he took off his dinner jacket, "you'll find out soon enough," he told her smiling as they fell asleep in each others arms.

The next morning Satine awoke to a maid opening the curtains as she smiled contently. This was what she'd always wanted…but…to be a _real_ actress… that would never leave her she thought.

Christian sensed her discomfort at breakfast and so – leaving Nicole with Mary one of the maids – took her outside for a walk through the grounds.

"I grew up here," he told her softly as they reached a giant tree. "My sister fell from that tree and we all thought she had died, then they brought some chocolate in the room for myself and my brother, she woke up five minutes later, hasn't stopped liking chocolate either."

Satine laughed and looked at him. "You love it here don't you."

He nodded, "but, if you want to leave and go around the world a thousand times acting, then I will follow you as will Nicole and any others that … arrive." She laughed and nodded her understanding. "Satine, there is one thing that I would do as Christian before I become Lord etc." he smiled up at her, "I told you that we could run away together and live happily ever after? Would you? With…with me?" Before she could answer he placed a hand over her mouth softly. "I'm not finished yet!" he laughed, "there's a theatre nearby who are looking for actresses. They pay alright, and they want to give you an audition tomorrow for a play their doing soon. But that's not what I'm talking about at all…actually both those things were completely off topic." He sighed slowly and fished something wrapped in leather out of his bag. "I promise you something…or … the girl who died something."

"To write our story, I know. I asked her to tell you that."

Christian nodded and pressed the leather into her hands. It was a package almost…she couldn't believe it as she opened the leather to reveal the pages.

_The Moulin Rouge. To Satine Come What May _

She opened the first page to read

_The Moulin Rouge, a nightclub, a dancehall and a bordello ruled over by Harold Zidler. A kingdom of night-time pleasures where the rich and powerful came to play with the young and beautiful creatures of the underworld The most beautiful of all these was the woman I loved. Satine. A courtesan, she sold her love to men. They called her "the sparkling diamond", and she was the star of the Moulin Rouge. The woman I loved is dead_.

"I'm dead am I?" she laughed softly.

"If you lived, the Duke might find you and … I … I couldn't bear that."

She smiled and hugged him tightly whispering a soft "yes" into his ear. He pulled back startled.

"Yes to what?" he asked carefully.

"Yes I'll live a thousand happily-ever-afters with you. Come what May!"

He kissed her feverishly before letting her go. "Do you mean that?" she didn't answer him but the kiss served as answer enough.

"Oh, and Christian?" she smiled as she leant into his shoulder. "What would you say if Nicole had a brother or sister?"

"What?"

"You remember … one….of those nights I spent in your garret?"

"How could I forget?"

"I'm going to have your child Christian. Your! Child!"  
He laughed which was not quite the answer she'd expected, but she loved it all the same.

**Epilogue**

Satine did get the part in the play in the nearby theatre and Christian and Nicole were there on opening night as she received rave reviews from all quarters on her portrayal of Shakespeare's Viola.

Christian's book became famous as it was almost certain that every house in England owned a copy. He sold the rights to a young director by the name of Mark **Luhrmann who turned it into a musical. Satine auditioned, not mentioning the connection and was successful it wasn't until opening night that they found out she was married to the author. The show was an instant hit traveling all over England and Europe. **

**Four months after _Moulin Rouge_** finished, Ewan was born having his father's eyes and his mother's nose.

This story is about truth, beauty, freedom, but above all, **love **

**AN: thank you to all the reveiws and I'm so sorry to finish this here I could have gone on but I couldn't...L O N G story **

**but thanks all reveiws still appreciated**


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